2002 World Equestrian Games

Final Five Riders Hold Chapin In Suspense

The class took on a different feeling for the last five competitors, as the two remaining riders on both the German and American teams plus the final Spanish rider showed that it was still anybody's contest and the suspense held to the last number was announced in the scores. Going 21st in the order was Germany's Ulla Salzgeber and Rusty, who were greeted by cheers and whistles as they entered Chapin Stadium. Rusty did not let them down. He performed like a well-oiled machine in his extended trot and showed powerful passage and piaffe. Then to the vocal surprise of the crowd, he had a mistake in his one tempis. After his first pirouette, he threw in a wonderfully huge change before the second pirouette, but in the final centerline work, Rusty was obviously kicking out with his right hind in the piaffe. Salzegeger exited to big cheers and took over the lead with 74.120%.

Germany's Nadine Capellmann on Farbenfroh went next and floated through the half pass but exhibited an inactive piaffe behind. Then to the crowd's stunned reaction, Farbenfroh missed a change in his two tempis and then missed in the ones. His hind end seemed to lag a bit in the pirouettes and the last piaffe was weak - he swayed his hind end to the right quite obviously. Still Capellmann waved to the cheering crowd and the judges rewarded her with 75.88% - putting her in the lead. Capellmann said she was pleased with Farbenfroh's performance and that the first part of her test was the better half. "I had two mistakes in the flying changes, but he had a good day," she said.